This invention relates to carrying bags such as handbags and shoulder bags as usually carried by women and consisting of a carrying means such as a handle or strap member attached to a container member. More particularly, the present invention relates to said carrying bags provided with an anti-theft means associated with said carrying means.
Commonly used carrying bags generally consist of a carrying strap or handle attached to a container member. One variety, having a short carrying strap, is held by hand by said strap, and is known as a handbag. Another variety, having a longer strap which is worn over the shoulder, is known as a shoulder bag. It is not an uncommon occurrence for women to be victimized by purse-snatchers who, with a very rapid and forceful movement, will sieze a carrying bag in a manner so as to sever the owner's grasp of it, and then run off with said carrying bag. Numerous techniques have already been explored to thwart the purse-snatcher's efforts. Most of the known approaches involve the use of alarm systems, or tether lines wound onto a spring-activated reel contained within the container member, said line being connected at its free end to the owner, or the owner's clothing. Such reeled line mechanisms are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 539,842; 2,783,926; and 3,126,598.
Although alarm systems occasionally deter theft, activation of the alarm at the proper instant is not assured, and such activation generally occurs after the actual theft. Also, alarm systems do not provide positive restraint means or means for retrieval of the taken carrying bag. Problems associated with carrying bags attached by a line to the person or clothing of the owner include the inconvenience in using the bag, safety hazards engendered by the tether line, the possibility of torn or damaged clothing, loss of space in the container member by virtue of the space occupied by the line-holding reel, and the possibility of malfunction if the reel is unable to deploy line at a rate commensurate with the speed of motion of the purse-snatcher. The inertial effects of rotating reel mechanisms are such as to either provide a definite drag on the deploying line, or overreact to cause spilling and consequent tangling of the line.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a carrying bag having anti-theft means which does not attach said carrying bag to the clothing or person of the owner, and which does not occupy space in the container portion of said carrying bag. It is another object to provide a carrying bag comprised of a container member and carrying means, said carrying means being provided with an anti-theft means which affords positive restraint to thwart a would-be purse-snatcher. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a positive-restraint anti-theft means for a carrying bag without utilization of a rotating reel or other moving parts which impart inertial resistance to the rapid deployment of a line. Other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.